05/26/2026
This past Sunday, Fr. Gabriel concluded his sermon series "The Work of Easter". This series was inspired by Howard Thurman's similarly titled poem "The Work of Christmas". Fr. Gabriel adapted Thurman's poem for Easter:
After the easter flowers have begun to wilt,
after the tomb is found empty,
after the newly polished brass begins to tarnish,
after the easter eggs have all been found and Easter candy is on clearance at the stores, the real work of Easter begins:
To place our hands into the wounds of a vulnerable God who invites us close,
To be transformed more and more by allowing ourselves to be taken, blessed, broken, and given to the world,
To rest on the shoulders of the Good Shepherd who calls us each by name,
To be courageous in letting go of what is dying so that we can make room in our lives for new life,
To come close to God who is as close as our very heartbeat,
To experience resurrection in our own lives and then make resurrection happen in the world around us,
and to live lives open to the work of the Holy Spirit in our midst who is always surprising us, empowering us, and rising above the powers of this world to bring about God’s Kingdom on earth.
That is the work of Easter.
